This article tackles a perplexing question: Why do revolutionary regimes, despite lacking immediate threats from sexual minorities, often target them? It argues that this repression stems from strategic and ideological factors. When revolutions create domestic instability, rulers may strategically identify 'unreliable' groups to demonstrate their power.
Furthermore, many revolutionaries hold exclusionary ideologies (communism, fascism, Islamism). These frameworks prioritize collectivities over individuals, making liberal sexual minorities seem like threats to the project. Quantitative analysis confirms that revolutionary governments are more likely than other types to repress LGBT people.
The research uses newly compiled data on homophobic repression and examines case studies from Cuba. Findings reveal that both strategic punishment of 'invisible' groups and exclusionary ideologies drive this pattern, providing insight into how political regimes manage internal threats during turbulent periods.
